And it’s essential to sign up for the daily email alerts. One tip tells you how to respond to desired house sitting posts so that yours is among the first to arrive in the homeowner’s inbox. And I show you exactly how to word your letter so that it stands out. The prime assignments can prompt a hundred or more replies, so yours needs to be stellar – and very personal. Included in THE HOUSE SITTING BOOK are two actual letters of mine that won us prime assignments in Copenhagen and near Washington D.C. in the United States. I give examples of why my letters grabbed the homeowner’s attention, (out of the nearly two hundred letters they each received), like how I commented on items in one homeowner’s photos that were near and dear to her heart.
My husband Conrad and I live the house sitting lifestyle, going from one assignment to the next, with time in between to travel and discover new countries and cultures. We are not wealthy people. Conrad is retired and I am a freelance writer and blogger. And because we have learned how to travel on a tight budget, I also present tips, including my 3-Step-Method to finding low-cost off-the-beaten-path lodging that is family-owned. These are the sweet places that we remember long after leaving because the generous owners share local lore, food and historical information as well as friendship – like the 350-year-old Gasthof Locher in the Italian Dolomites where we helped bring the cows down the hillside from the upper pasture, or the Catalan Cal Jepa apartment owned by a restaurateur who gave us a personal tour of his vineyard and fruit orchards.
THE HOUSE SITTING BOOK is a 100-page downloadable ebook packed with my inspiration, Conrad’s analytical tables and graphs, as well as fun-facts sprinkled about, (like: Norwegians drink more coffee than any other people on the planet), and 2 questionnaires which delve into your needs and motives for house sitting and traveling. There are charts for cost-of-living and transportation costs. There are tips for using public transportation and rental cars. I talk about the differences in house sitting assignments in terms of urban vs. remote, and more importantly, what that means for you. For instance, Conrad and I accepted an extremely remote house sit in Spain for an off-the-grid mountainside home. I show you photos and explain the good and the bad, so you can judge if remote house sitting is right for you.
I devote one section of the book to contracts, a very important aspect of your house sitting happiness! Among the many other subjects covered in THE HOUSE SITTING BOOK are language, visas, travel hacking and technology.
Here’s what others are saying:
“If you've considered house sitting as a vacation option or even a lifestyle, The House Sitting Book is a very comprehensive resource to get you started. Regardless of your web expertise, Josie makes the house sitting and travel lifestyle accessible with tips and tricks for finding and landing (and getting the most out of) house sitting gigs, as well as providing lots of tips for stress-free travel and experiencing new cultures. You can tell Josie is an expert, as most of the material is written from personal experience, with contextual anecdotes peppered throughout.” -Nora Dunn, The Professional Hobo
"This book is a gem! Whether you are in "the lifestyle" or merely considering it, you will find tips and facts that make this a must-read book. Not only is The House Sitting Book full of all kinds of information, it is well written and researched. It will cut your time in locating a house to sit and help you get assignments faster." -- Joan Sheridan, U.S.A.
I invite you into my world so that you too can reap the rewards – and fun – of house sitting. I wish you epic and safe travels! Click HERE to read more about THE HOUSE SITTING BOOK.
